Judge says Monsanto cancer case can move forward

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that lawsuits against agricultural giant Monsanto could proceed and that key plaintiffs’ witnesses may testify. The lawsuits allege that Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup caused users to develop cancer.

This move represents a win for victims, but they will still face an uphill battle at trial, as the judge called their claims “shaky” but admissible.

Thousands of individual plaintiffs claim Monsanto’s widely used weedkiller RoundUp caused them to develop cancer and that Monsanto provided no consumer warning. Specifically, the lawsuits link the ingredient glyphosate to an increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and claim that the company knew about the risk and failed to warn the public, going so far as to suppress research that suggested the product was dangerous. The ingredient glyphosate is considered a probable human carcinogen according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.  […]

IVC Filter Lawsuit Trial Starts This Week

The first case against medical device maker C.R. Bard goes to trial this week in Phoenix, AZ.

Over 3,000 lawsuits are pending against Bard in the United States. Plaintiffs allege that Bard’s IVC filter is unsafe and has been linked to serious complications and death. The bellwether trial, Sherr-Una Booker v C.R. Bard Inc. and Bard Vascular Inc, is scheduled to begin on March 13, 2018.  Booker has alleged that her complications include filter tilting, fracture and perforation according to DrugWatch.com. We will be watching closely to see how this trial unfolds and what the implications may be for other victims seeking legal recourse.

In a 2015 article, NBC news revealed that Bard continued to sell “G2” IVC filters for five years after it knew that the devices had potentially fatal flaws.  It goes on to state that a Bard document “that includes data through 2010 showed the G2 series filters had more fractures, […]

Lawsuits claim Roundup weed killer causes cancer

Lawsuits Allege: Roundup Weed Killer Linked to Cancer

Hundreds of lawsuits allege that Roundup, a popular weed killer used on everything from crops to home gardens, has caused cancer in those exposed to it. They also claim that the makers of Roundup knew about the cancer risk, and failed to warn consumers.

Specifically, plaintiffs claim that exposure to Roundup increases the risk of:

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) including B-cell and T-cell lymphoma
• Leukemia

The main ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, is the most widely used herbicide in the world.

Monsanto Misstates Research Findings

The lawsuits also allege that chemical giant Monsanto deceived consumers about the safety of their product. Though it is marketed as safe enough to use around pets and humans, studies have found that Roundup potentially very harmful to humans.  […]

FTC Faces Lawsuit Over Used Car Recall Dangers

If you’re looking to buy a used car, how do you know if a vehicle is safe? Thanks to the Takata airbag recall, it’s become more complicated than ever before.

Consumer groups sued the Federal Trade Commission earlier this week for dangerously misleading used car buyers. Last year, the FTC reached a decision with General Motors and two major used-car chains allowing dealerships to advertise used cars as “certified pre-owned” even if they had an outstanding recall making them unsafe to drive. The lawsuit aims to overturn this decision.

Consumer safety groups filing the lawsuit include the Center for Auto Safety, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and three of its state counterparts. They argue that the ruling leaves used car buyers vulnerable to potentially deadly defects.

The matter is further complicated by the immense volume of auto recalls in recent years. […]

The IIHS Announces 2017 Top Safety Picks

Thinking of buying a new car? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced last week their 2017 Top Safety Picks.

Out of 200 models evaluated by the IIHS, 82 vehicles made the cut.

There are two awards categories: Top Safety Pick, and Top Safety Pick Plus. To qualify for either of these lists, vehicles must earn good ratings in a series of crashworthiness tests and advanced or superior ratings for crash prevention. In all, 44 earned Top Safety Pick status, and 38 Top Safety Pick Plus.

2017 Top Safety Pick Criteria

For the 3rd year in a row, automatic braking factored significantly into vehicle safety ratings. Automakers have voluntarily pledged to make automatic braking standard in all new vehicles by 2022. The feature has already become more common in new models. And that’s a good thing — […]